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Janet Shook Leitao

meninadenia@yahoo.com

+351927393217

Janet Shook Leitao

City:

Tavira

,

Country:

Portugal

I am a dancer from the Western United states who found Nia while working as a dancer and dance teacher in Istanbul, Turkey. My work has always been based on the spiritual and transformative power of movement and I always look to folk and indigineous dance ritual for inspiration as well as modern techniques to expand our bodies possibilities. Nia is for me the answer to a professional dancers problem in the performance of dance outweighing the joy of the dance. I transfer this to my students, who may not want to be professional dancers in any way... just beings living and experiencing their bodies and spirits in unification.

My research outside of Nia integrates many cultural dance forms, contemporary dance (Univeristy of Utah Modern Dance Dept.), Rolfing, Feldenkrais, Alexandre Technique, Yoga, Tai Chi, and working with musicians to understand the importance of the body-music connection.

I now live in Portugal with my husband and am about to birth my first child.